Priyanka BC, an employee based in India, “boomeranged” back to Zscaler in October 2021 after a two-year hiatus, having worked in the company for six years from 2013 to 2019. This is the story of her resilience and courage in overcoming a setback to grow and succeed at Zscaler.
I started my professional journey with Zscaler after having been hired through the University Program upon my graduation. This is one of the many reasons why Zscaler holds a special place in my heart. I was hired from a pool of 300 students and was trained and mentored by an amazing team. Through an efficient training program that equipped me with all the necessary resources to be successful, I was able to learn quickly and soon became a Critical Response Engineer. However, when I encountered adversity in my personal life, I developed an even greater appreciation for how incredible Zscaler is.
As a young college graduate entering the corporate world, I was optimistic despite the challenge of adjusting and building a new skill set. I knew I was taking the first step up the career ladder that would determine a great deal of my future. When I started with the Technical Account Management team, there were only six of us managing accounts in the APJ team. After a year in this role, I learned to engage and bond with customers and my confidence, along with my relationships with the team, grew.
Then in 2019, I found myself at a crossroads where a crisis in my personal life was affecting my professional life. It was an extremely hard time for me but my manager and team extended full support. I asked to take an unpaid leave and I was offered one due to goodwill and strong performance. But my situation at home didn’t improve so I had to call it quits in December 2019 after having worked at Zscaler for six years.
One year later I was blessed with a baby girl. With motherhood as my main focus, everything else took a back seat. However, the one thing I missed during this time was working. I had always known myself as a professional woman and sitting at home was not how I envisioned my life.
That's when I took a stand for myself and made a choice to return to work despite personal challenges. I knew in my heart that if I was going to return to work, it had to be at Zscaler. When people ask me why I chose Zscaler, one thing I was sure of was the support I received to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This was still true when I rejoined Zscaler in October 2021, returning to the same team without any second thoughts after a two-year-long break. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
By then, the Technical Account Management team was ten times the size it was when I joined, and a number of new products were introduced. Additionally, the Knowledge Transfer program had also become more efficient and sophisticated. A lot of online resources were made available with a dedicated enablement team and a robust Buddy Program to mentor me through the work culture. This helped me fill the gaps and learn the new products swiftly. And just like before, my team stood by me as pillars. They were understanding and flexible as I ramped up while also parenting a toddler.
When I came back, I was assigned to an important client account with a complicated architecture and a huge user base. I saw this as an opportunity to polish my skills and prove my mettle. I proactively made efforts to engage and understand the customer’s needs. The outcome was that the number of escalations came down and I was seen as a trusted advisor.
My team put their faith in me and let me take the lead. Their support was key to my success. I am happy to report that I performed well and was recognized by the Global Customer Services team with the prestigious Customer Obsession Award in Q2 of 2022. I believe my journey at Zscaler is an example of turning adversity into opportunity. When you set your mind on something and are supported by a caring team, there is nothing that can stop you. My experience is living proof that Zscaler offers an incredible work culture and great leadership team, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this organization.
